


And Thus, They Merged

by DragonEyeFan



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Additional Warnings In Author's Note, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Friendship, Gender-Neutral Pronouns, Other, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Possible Romance, Spoilers, Timey-Wimey
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-03
Updated: 2015-12-16
Packaged: 2018-05-04 17:48:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,872
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5342939
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DragonEyeFan/pseuds/DragonEyeFan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What happens when time starts repeating itself when it shouldn't? There's no reason, Obama's the president, Tumblr exists, and all you can remember is the feeling that you forgot something. </p><p>But something is off, and you must find out what. </p><p>You're scared. You should be. It's not like everyone can remember, can they?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. And Then, It Was

**Author's Note:**

> Just so you know, this is technically a shameless self-insert, but since I'm writing it, I must share it. Such is the life of a writer. Also, The start goes fast, but I'm planning on toning it down and drawing it out in later chapters.
> 
> Now, this isn't meant to be shippy. That said: There might be fluff, but if I do smut it'll be in another one-shot collection. 
> 
> Alright, I'll let you read the thing.

So you woke.

You felt unease slipping through soft cracks in your mind, glancing up at your wall. You vaguely remember dreaming that there had been a note there, and if you had woken without it... Well, let's just say you should remember.

But you don't.

The vauge unease grips at you now, as you remember the time it was when you fell asleep last. Grabbing your cell, it becomes apparent that things aren't quite as it seems, a year backwards in time.

The familiar tension rises again.

Cold grabs onto your throat, making it hard to breath through the dryness that it creates. You should remember why, why this was all happening. That's what scares you, because for some god-awful reason you just can't. So you do when this happens (What? The sixth, seventh time now?).

You cry. You're sad.

It hurts, and while you don't understand why once again, it just does.

Getting out of your bed, you grab some clothes. Getting dressed, you unlock your cell, and immediately go to Tumblr. You know the tag to check.

'#timeline reset'

Others remember why, so that'll fill in the blank holes in your memory. For some reason, you really want to play that game, but you understand it hasn't been released yet.

That's fine. It doesn't matter right now.

Checking the tag, you see familiar names pop up, as well as some equations that have to do with time space parallaxes and the like. It's uncomfortable to know that you can read them. You never really liked math, but you understood well enough to do your taxes, but this...

Sighing, you post your own post, and immediately get a ask in response. There should be messages now, but it's 2014, and there isn't any. You sigh, and read it over. It was sending words of encouragement, and positivity. You smile, glad to see someone else is happy that you too remember. It's comforting. It eases the fear.

Grabbing your second favourite mug once you enter the kitchen, you haven't bought your favourite yet. It'll come in time, and that thought soothes the ache that seems to radiate from your very bones. Checking the news - timelines restarting can sometimes have differing variables - you shudder to see that Russia has already started invading Ukraine to the point of global attention. This timeline was all out of whack, and you expected a sudden reset. Maybe next week, perhaps in a month.

Hopefully before the world goes to shit.

Suppressing another shudder, you suddenly feel very sleepy, and make sure to post the note to the wall next to your bed before climbing back in, any intentions of making your morning beverage forgotten.

When you wake, you suddenly _remember_ and it _hurts_ and you don't know if there's anything you can _do_ but moan at the sudden rush of pain blooming within your skull. The posts from before said it could be this way, but you were hoping for the painless - rather, less painful - version, of remembering slowly.

But it was a good sign. A very good sign.

Getting up again - ignoring the fact that the note was gone once again - you got dressed and headed back to the kitchen, cell in hand. For some reason you want to text someone, but the number isn't active.

_'Strange.'_

Ignoring the sudden dread, you pull out the same mug, and make your breakfast beverage. Once that was out of the way, you could finally eat, you never liked mornings. You were tired, but now your mind was buzzing with equations and theories and information and while it hurt, it was a good hurt.

Unlocking your cell again, you wait for your drink to finish being made (steeped or brewed, whichever you preferred in this timeline) as you make your mandatory post in the tag. An equation slips past your fingers, something to do with the infinite universes theory and how it can buckle over itself, folding the timeline once it's broken beyond repair, with a missing symbol that would solve the equation. Vihart made a video about the symbol, but you weren't assed to think of it right now. Not pi, but the other one. It just made the equation easier and less jumbled.

Sighing softly, you also added that this time, you remembered everything. Sixteen resets that you could count. All of them ending prematurely, from what you could gather. And possibly not from your timeline, if your equation had anything to say about it. More like a universe that'd intersected with yours, and then attached itself to this timeline. Not enough for the two to meet, but enough for the two to effect each other. It was the newest thing to be said in a good long while, seven resets ago, to be exact.

And the asks you got ( _'Goddamnit Tumblr, get your shit together, make the messaging system faster this time 'round. Plz?'_ ) were so hopeful. Perhaps in another few resets, the two timelines would merge, and they'd finally get answers damnit. Perhaps they'd merge slowly, like how most seemed to remember.

Perhaps one of you was supposed to make it merge.

That thought filled you with so much fear, so you pushed it to the side. You'd have to wait, this time around. See what happens. Make sure it doesn't happen again.

Or rather, study why it happens, so you can predict it.

You had the sinking feeling it was because of a certain set of events. Chain reaction. Dominoe effect. Whatever.

It just happened, and it scared the piss out of you now. Ignoring your stomach's protests, you ate, mulling over the equation. It wasn't as fool-proof as you hoped it could be, but then again messing with relative physics about time and the fabric of continuum was an iffy science at best, so you could only hope that the theory held. Helped.

Something.

Ignoring the feeling of eyes in the back of your head, you continue as if everything was normal. It was, nobody around you remembered the resets. It would be fine.

The bile riding up the back of your throat suggested otherwise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Why the fast reset I wonder? Who knows. (I know.)
> 
> Also, yes, I'm keeping the final 'e' on Dominoe just to piss people off. Fight me. (If you get that reference I will love you forever. Also this reference will be brought up again later. I love this joke, shut up.)
> 
> I've been thinking about this forever, forgive me.
> 
> Also I suck at math, so I'm not writing out any of the equations, just thinking of them makes me feel ill. But I like the theoretical timeline theories, since anything can go. Also, the Viheart vid I was talking about is here: https://youtu.be/jG7vhMMXagQ
> 
> Have fun nerds.
> 
> PS: I have, like, three chapters written at this point, and I'm writing the fourth. This is gunna consume me. So, expect some more updates soon-ish.


	2. And Then, Understanding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Who knew memories lost could so easily break your resolve?

When you finished your day, you sat in front of the computer, idly wondering what the nagging feeling in the back of your head was. It didn't feel like anything good, to be quite honest. You sighed. It was going to be a bad reset. But perhaps taking your mind off of it and finding that game would make things a little better.

You checked online, searching for that game that you remembered playing in the first reset. Underfell? Undertail? Both those names you had to supress a shiver against, both of those seemed close, but horribly wrong. Like those weren't exactly what you were thinking of, but they were close. It was as if something was preventing you from finding out the answers you wanted, but you managed to pick up on something.

Undertale.

The feeling of dread started to shift over you as you looked over the kickstarter page, idly wondering if you had pledged. It was a game you'd certainly be interested in, seeing as how you played it before, but perhaps you didn't.

Ah, well. You'll just have to buy the game when it releases. That sucked.

Though the idea stuck with you. The first reset you had played the ga-

This game. It remembered when you reset, when you went on a No Mercy run, even that damned skeleton who was more of a skele _pun_ ( _'Oh god, did I really just think that? That was horrible, why am I laughing?'_ ) and you remembered something.

Only those who went through the first two routes alone - Neutral and Pacifist - remembered the resets. There weren't many of you. Most let their curiosity get the better of them, let themselves be taken on a ghastly endevour of running the game with only their knife as their single thought, though not uneffected, but still cruel and obviously uncaring in their actions. Those who had taken the No Mercy route ended up forgetting after the first few resets.

You couldn't bring yourself to raise a hand against him, that sweetheart, knowing how his brother would feel. The thought alone made you sick to your stomach, knowing you had that power, but you adamantly refused to go through with it. It was for the best anyways, you felt something akin to a friend through the pixelated world, and that made the first timeline you personally went through better. It was with a heavy heart that you uninstalled the game, but kept your SAVE files so that the timeline... Would still... Be tangible.

What happens if you aren't there to guide Frisk though? Would Chara take over? Would they remember? You seemed to be the one to remember, perhaps you were both Chara and Frisk all along.

Perhaps it was just a game. Perhaps... Perhaps the timeline resets were a coincidence.

It had to be. You let the thought go.

( _You can feel your sins crawling up your back._ )

If anything, it was your belief in the timeline that made it real. You sincerely doubted that Frisk would reset knowing what it did to pun-master ('Not saying that name isn't going to make this thought easier.') or that they had no idea, but it was really your power all along. You made the world reset, not Frisk. Not Chara. Nobody but you.

It hurt to think you might have ended up messing up their timeline, but you had to get a true ending, and set them free, to start again and make sure that you played the game truthfully. You thought it meant more because you didn't just start back from the final SAVE point and complete the Pacifist route that way after the Neutral run. You made sure to meet everyone again, knowing you would never have to lift a finger, and become friends with them all over again.

You even made some new friends that time around too.

Also fuck that particular bone in his body for scaring the bejezzus out of you. On a date no less. But you sorta knew where he was coming from. They wanted to be free, and he wanted to spare the others of knowing you before you could change their mind. So it would hurt less when you left, first go around, or didn't get their hopes up. It was... Jarring, to say the least. Now that you were in his shoes (slippers? official-not-yet-made/released art as of yet says shoes but who knows)... Position. Yeah, position. Now that you were in his position, you'd probably feel the same way. Except this time around it wasn't souls you needed to break this loop, this barrier, but probably an action.

You were sorry. You wished that you could just type into the start screen of the game, say you were sorry for messing with the timelines, that you just wanted to ensure their escape peacefully, without any other person meddling with the timelines. You knew that with the infinite timeline theory, that their timeline in your copy of the game was separate from the others, different from what other people had bought. But it still made you feel better knowing that in at least one looping timeline, that they could be happy without any violence.

It still made you a little queasy to think about it, truth be told.

_(You wanted to drop the toy knife into the ravine where you met him. So you could never use it. It saddened you to think that you had to keep it on you.)_

Sighing, you tried to pull yourself from your thoughts. They were getting heavy over a simple game. Well, alright, the game was a freakin' masterpiece, and you felt a connection through it like no other. It gave you hope.

Perhaps this was your punishment, to see timelines like those who knew did. You felt as if you deserved it, for wanting to reach out to them again, knowing that these people would be hurt again if you reset everything. Despite making new friends, and despite knowing that you never had to hurt anyone, you knew it would hurt someone. It didn't matter if was you, or another person.

It would hurt, so you kept your wishes to yourself. You let others data mine, and you let others show you what could have been.

Yeah, trying to think about something different now was too hard. Carefully, you wrote a note, and you shut off your computer. You could post about what you had found tomorrow, it wasn't as if it would change anything. You were now a simple observer, unable to change anything.

Getting ready for bed and checking your apartment to make sure everything was in order, you posted the note to the wall next to your bed, with a blue marker ready with it.

Dressed for bed, you could only hope your dreams would be quiet and painless.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, there. Guess video games really are dangerous, amirite? *Gross laughter*
> 
> Have fun with the fucking feels nerds. Remember, sixteen times over and you feel as if you understand to an extent. I know I sure as fuck would. 
> 
> Also if you couldn't tell, this entire fic is gunna be laced with pain and sad. Fluff might happen, but it's be painful fluff. I enjoy making myself sad.
> 
> Also four chapters written by now! Woo! Fifth on the go, I'm on a roll! Prepare your arseholes, this is gunna go fast for the first ten chapters.


	3. And Thus, You Dreamt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sleeping had always been peaceful. Now?
> 
> You wonder what this could mean.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soz for short chapter. My birfday came up, so I haven't gotten much writing done. But hey, here you go. More delicious angst.
> 
> Also this is now your fave sweater, I will fight you on this.

You felt your body hovering, almost falling as you felt something soft beneath you. 

This was wrong.

You never felt more scared and out of your mind thus far. At least you remembered. Sixteen resets. Sixteen years, exactly, that you had been twenty-something, turning a year older. You were now at least thirty-something, possibly fourty-something in your mind. Thinking about this helped center yourself so you could open your eyes.

You wish you could close them again, but you're crying, and that would hurt. Too much pollen in the air.

Idly, you wondered why golden flowers were used for tea if they had such a sad meaning to them (vauge memories of fanfiction was probably the seed to these thoughts), and why you were laying down in what appeared to be ruins. You weren't sure if you should get up. You had a feeling if you tried, you couldn't.

_(Not yet. You will know when you can.)_

Perhaps not this dream, but the next, you can go see what this all looked like from a first person view. It scared you though, not because of the place, but rather the reality of it.

It all looked so real, like it was the best rendered thing in video game history, but some nagging part of you told you it was real, and this wasn't graphics. You looked down, to see yourself in your (favourite) grey sweater, poofy turtleneck that went to your knees, and up to your chin, with a large front pocket, open on both sides. Black skinny jeans adorned your legs, and you could feel your black trainers on your feet. Thankfully you had socks on.

Lowering your head, as you could move it now, you realize you're still crying. Was this some sick joke that the cosmos decided to play on you? Sure, that one was a prankster, and he let on less then what you believed he could actually do, but you knew he wouldn't do this to himself, not again. Perhaps the seventeenth entry? Maybe that had some part in this. You could only guess. You never studied the files when you had them.

Groaning softly, so as not to alert the flower in the other room, you didn't try to move any more limbs. It was better that way. Perhaps this was a split, a divergence in the two timlines that are finally meeting. For real this time. You didn't fall, like you had expected to, so perhaps there was still something off about this. Perhaps it was just a dream.

You'd have to pull a Yume Nikki and pinch yurself to find out though.

Chuckling softly at the reference despite your tears, you can see the small form that hovered over you now. His fur was white, and you recognized him. When he spoke, you had to agree with a heavy heart and dissapointment all the same.

"You're not supposed to be in this timeline. This is wrong, this wasn't supposed to happen." His face trembled slightly, probably with fear that the happy ending will be reset again. But it's what he said next that astounded you, and made you shiver with alarm. "It's not like your timeline has been reset, right?"

The horror in your face gave it away. ( _'They didn't know?'_ ) He backed up a step, obviously startled. "What do you mean it has? How many times?"

"Sixteen. Sixteen times thus far. We were thinking that your timeline attached itself to ours through some means, and I think I know how it did. I can't stop it from happening again either. The connection will be made, and then it'll reset again. So long as people remember though... Some of us do. It's only if we take the Pacifist route once, and no others. Well, apart from the obligatory Neutral route. It's possible that if enough resets occur, the timelines will merge. Unless something changes, but when it does, it automatically resets so it can continue on as normal."

You're still crying. This hurt damnit, you never expected to be here, especially with such heavy news. You blink finally, seeing a flower in place of the child. He looks solemn, and then disappears under the ground. You wince. You can't face him just yet. That would break you. Your SOUL would never survive that. You don't want to think about why.

And with a pinch, you wake up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so I'mma tell you something - I'm using this (https://forum.starmen.net/forum/RadDog/undertale/SPOILERS-Tidazi-s-Undertale-Theories-Research/page/1/) as a baseline for some research into what I'm going to do with this series. This might take a good long while to finish this fic because of it. So yeah. Also if you click the link and don't expect spoilers you're weird kid. It's basically deconstructing everything we know and forming ideas based off them. So, uh, spoiler warning.
> 
> Also I wonder who you're going to meet next chapter~


	4. And Then, An Old Friend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Brotherhood is awesome. But will even timelines remember?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please don't kill me.

You have to smile at the note. It reminded you so much of the angsty fan art that someone had of done of him.

_'Days since the last reset: #16'_

You drew a line with the blue marker, and you felt grounded after that. It helped you to know which reset you were in. It helped you keep track of the days you aged – if only mentally. It also helped you realize that for you, that dream was just that.

Good god, did that dream hurt. It felt like you were plagued by your previous feelings all over again, and that this time they meant a whole lot more. It made you question what was going on, and if there was a way to solve it. But you also wondered if it was real for them, or just a temporary time hiccup, or even just a phantom of things that could have been. You didn't want to dwell on that too much.

Getting ready for your day, you almost laughed at your outfit. White tee, black sport shorts with a thick white stripe down the front of each leg, and a comfortable blue sweater on top. Since you didn't have to leave today, you also wore your fuzzy house slippers. Black sclera contacts with white pupils and some good SFX makeup, and you'd have thought yourself to be cosplaying.

You decided against getting changed, as well as deciding against mentioning your dream in the tag. No doubt you'd get some hate for it. You didn't need that right now. What you needed was some comedy, something to laugh at. You nearly barked in laughter when you realized one of his side occupations finished his font name. It was a bittersweet memory, to say the least.

But all angst aside, today you were determined to go over your equation. Going to the kitchen for your breakfast drink, then food, you scowled when you realized you were almost out of sugar and some other necessary items. You'd have to go to the store. Later, you decided, and finished making your morning beverage. Plunking yourself at a seat, mug in hand, you checked over the news. Nothing was out of place, so you relaxed.

Scrolling through Tumblr, you scowled at some of the information that would be debunked in a month, knowing full well that nobody was fact checking. You felt horrible, as you were one of those people at one point. You wanted to fit in, you wanted to matter, and you wanted to make things right and be a hero. It was almost maddening thinking of the extremes you went in past resets, yelling at random strangers because they had a differing opinion to you.

Idly, you wondered what would happen if everyone knew monsters were real, and what would happen between religion and monster-kind as a whole. It was intriguing - if not a little worrying - to think about, seeing as how most religions would immediately discredit monsters as demons and try to persecute them as such.

But that was neither here nor there as of yet. Worrying about it would only make you feel worse, and you didn't need that.

Sighing, you almost felt your heart stop when you saw a post. Apparently this person was also having memories of the timeline resets, and now people were picking on them. You frowned, and went to their blog.

You froze.

Papyrus?

Your entire SOUL wavered, and you felt a strain in your chest as you heaved for breath. You quickly shot him an encouraging message through fan-mail. You told them that yes, you remembered, and that there was a tag for this. You realized that you hadn't made the post about Undertale yet. This changed everything though, and now you felt as if you couldn't. But the kickstarter was still up, perhaps this was a waver in the timelines and it would all change tomorrow.

You followed the poor skeleton, who you assumed in this stage would be human. Monsters haven't made an appearance yet, not in this exact timeline. Though you had a feeling a certain brother would still understand everything, despite this. It would make too much sense. You chuckled, despite the now ever-present nagging fear.

Perhaps this was all wrong. You hoped it to be wrong.

Getting up from the couch, you were glad that you kept your cell on you at all times. Otherwise, while making breakfast, you would have missed the new fan-mail, and not seen his reply. It broke your heart to see it.

_'Hello there! Thank you for your kind words. They mean a lot to me!_

_I don't quite understand what you mean about the timelines resetting? All I know is that I have memories that seem far-off, like it could have been. I had a brother in them, which is odd, since I don't remember growing up with siblings. They are strange, to say the least. But it's nice to know I'm not the only one who remembers something different!_

_Perhaps you know of something that could jog my memory? This is kind of scary, and I feel like I should be remembering more._

_If you can't help, I understand! I hope you have a wonderful day, friend!'_

You were crying again. Does this mean that his brother hasn't made it yet? What about the others? Would they merge into your timeline, or would both end up existing side by side? You managed to keep breakfast from burning through your tears, toast seemed like all you could manage recently. At least to wake up to. Grabbing the doubly-cooked bread, you headed off to your computer, hoping that you could get some answers.

Sat at your computer, you took in a shaky breath, then began working on replying.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry. I did the no-no...
> 
> If it makes it any better it serves a purpose. 
> 
> Also next chapter is killing me, so don't expect any updates until I can get 3 chapters ahead again. This is the final full-written chapter that I have thus far. 
> 
> Again, please don't murder me.
> 
> EDIT: I re-worked this so it doesn't seem so anti-sjw, but rather an old radical from either side that is just tired and neutral at this point. I was once a radfem. I'm now a pure neutral. So this is me expressing myself through reader-san. c: ~~sorry~~


End file.
